


Making New Friends

by Vicky



Series: Sedge's Adventures in Atlantis [4]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M, Romance, Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-10
Updated: 2010-10-10
Packaged: 2017-10-12 14:02:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/125627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vicky/pseuds/Vicky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's time for Sedge to make new friends</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making New Friends

**Author's Note:**

> And here's the fourth part in the series. More of Sedge to come!

Elizabeth was in Jumper 1 with Sedge and John. It was Sunday and John nearly dragged her from her desk saying Sedge and herself both needed some time away from the City. He was right of course but she'd never tell him that. For Sedge, it would be the first time she went to the mainland, and strangely enough, she seemed more comfortable here in the Jumper than she was in the rather safer Daedalus.  
Silence surrounded them but it was not uncomfortable; actually, Elizabeth needed the silence she couldn't get in the ever working City. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the smooth ride, her mind wandering to other places she always found peaceful. Now that she came to think of it, maybe Atlantis wasn't a peaceful place with the war against the Wraith, but she couldn't picture another place she would feel safer most of the time, or at home. Sure, they had their share of problems but she'd never trade that for a quieter place on Earth; she wasn't fit for Earth anymore, no more like any other people who came to Atlantis and made themselves at home.  
With these thoughts, she realized they would soon face the fact that some would like to settle, and it would be fair since they considered Atlantis as home. She guessed she'd have to talk to the President about the fraternization rules soon; they couldn't apply there like on Earth, their situation was totally different. People had to be allowed to feel feelings to other, even if both of them were military. She's pretty sure some on Earth wouldn't like that, but she had to try, for her people.

"Stop thinking, Elizabeth," John said without taking his eyes off the Jumper's windshield. "And don't even try to tell me you weren't thinking, you have that little wrinkle between your eyebrows when you think too hard."

"Really?" she asked, raising one of the said eyebrows.

"Yeah, but don't worry, I think I'm one of the only one to know about that. And about the wrinkles, you may have some, but they're the good kind of wrinkles, they're laugh wrinkles."

"Thank you, John," she said, flattered that he said that. "Do you think the children will like Sedge?" she asked, changing the subject, and her dog raised her head at her name.

"You're joking, right? They'll love her! They never saw a dog before, but I think they'll get along well, don't worry."

"I'm not worried, John. I know Sedge, she's sweet and calm whenever she's around children. But I admit that I don't know how the kids will react."

"Everything will be fine Elizabeth. Well, we're nearly there," he added after having spotted the edge of the mainland.

Ten minutes later, John landed the Jumper in a clearing, not so far from the Athosian's settlement. As they were leaving the Jumper they saw several children running in their direction, Jinto among them. Elizabeth released Sedge's leash but the dog stayed by her side, still taking in her new surroundings.

"Hi, Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Weir!" Jinto said, coming into a halt just before them.

"Hey," John simply answered, acknowledging all the kids while Elizabeth smiled at them.

"Hey, what's this?" another kid asked, pointing at Sedge.

"This is Sedge, she's a dog, mine to be precise. You see, on Earth, people often have animals to keep them company and a lot of them have dogs."

"What do you do with them?" Jinto wanted to know.

"Well, we take them to the park so they can run, we play with them, we take care of them. Actually, having a dog is a lot of work but you're rewarded with the love they give you back."

"Did you have a… dog when you were on your planet, Colonel Sheppard," a young girl asked.

"No, I never had a dog. When I was about your age, my parents didn't want a dog and then with my work it was difficult to take care of a dog; I wasn't home that often."

"But you have one now," another girl around seven stated.

Both the adults were surprised at the girl's words, but Elizabeth realized that in a way, it was true. John helped her taking care of Sedge and whenever she was too loaded with work, he would come and take Sedge for a walk, claiming that his own work was already done, on which she chose to believe him even though she knew him better. It was strange, knowing that two months ago he didn't know about her dog. She knew that even some people in Atlantis were wondering if they were together, given John's closeness with Sedge; of course they never asked her but she heard some rumours floating around when they thought she wasn't within earshot.  
The children broke both their thoughts by starting to run around the clearing. Elizabeth freed Sedge from her leash and the dog started chasing after them finally really stretching her legs since she couldn't fully run in Atlantis. John motioned Elizabeth to sit down beneath an elm-like tree and he sat beside her, his arms resting on his bent knees. She mimicked his position, watching the children and Sedge playing in the distance; John was right, they got along really well.

"You wanna go for a walk?" he asked her after a while.

"Where do you suggest?" she simply replied, taking his offered hand to help her standing up.

"There's a path that goes towards the ocean in this direction," he said gesturing towards the farther edge of the clearing from them.

Stopping for a moment to talk to the children, they resumed their walk, leaving a happy Sedge chasing after one of the girls around the clearing. Like the one in the Jumper, the silence that fell around them was a comfortable one, one that both of them needed to gather their thoughts. Coolness surrounded them once they stepped into the forests, the high trees blocking most of the sun rays but in Elizabeth's opinion it was pleasant.  
After a twenty minute walk, they set foot on the beach and they both sat down in the sand, Elizabeth taking off her shoes and socks to feel the hot sand under her feet. John did the same but stood up to walk towards the ocean, wanting to soak his feet. She soon followed him, finding the idea one of the best he ever had, when not trying to save Atlantis from the Wraith of course.

"Oh god, this is great," Elizabeth moaned as soon as her feet made contact with the water.

"Yeah, that's what women always tell me…"

"John," she warned him, even though a playful smile made its way on her face. "Have you heard about the rumours floating around the city since we came back?" she asked after a while, finally voicing her previous thoughts.

"Which one? I've heard about Zelenka threatening to kill McKay's cat, though I'm not sure this one is only a rumour. There's also one about Lorne and one of the new nurses who just arrived. Oh and one about you and Caldwell," he added as an afterthought.

"Me and Caldwell?" Elizabeth squealed, surprised by this one.

"Yeah, according to it, you're deeply in love with each other and this is why he seems to be nicer for the last few months."

"They're completely crazy!"

"Yeah, I know. So, is that one of those?"

"What?"

"The rumour you wanted to talk about…," he reminded her.

"Oh! No, it's another one, and you don't seem to have heard about it. I should never have known but I guess I was at the right place, at the right time."

"What does it say?"

"Well, according to certain members of the expedition, we're together."

"What? Had they lost it when we were gone?" he said, as surprised as her before. "I didn't mean it like that," he continued after seeing her look. "I mean, it wouldn't be that bad… Wait! That didn't come out right. What I want to say is it'd be great if you and me… No, it's not that neither. I know that…"

"You're babbling, John," she interrupted him, taking pity on him.

"Yeah, sorry. If I offended you when I was, like you said, babbling, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"It's ok, don't worry."

An uncomfortable silence now surrounded them, John nearly squirming beside Elizabeth. She was still processing what John just said; if she wasn't mistaken, he nearly said he would like them to be together. But she couldn't be sure he really meant it after all. She suddenly felt like a schoolgirl whose crush just invited her to a party. Get a grip, girl, she thought, you do not have a crush on Lieutenant-Colonel John Sheppard, who happens to be your second in command. He's your best friend, nothing more. Plus, he said he hadn't meant it…  
She was so lost in her thought, trying to reason with herself that she only heard the last words of John's question.

"What? Excuse me, I didn't listen."

"I said, I wondered what made them think that you and me…, you know…"

"Apparently, it's Sedge that triggered them off. When she's not with me, she's with you so they thought…"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, not wanting to hear it once more. "Well, obviously they're wrong… Unless you're hiding something," he added with a smirk.

"John…"

"Ok, ok, I'll stop."

They stayed like that for a while before Elizabeth decided it was time to go back to Atlantis. John tried to change her mind but deep down he knew she was right; the City's inhabitants couldn't survive more than a few hours with McKay leading it.  
They went back to the clearing to find the children still playing with Sedge, obviously happy that she was here. They were disappointed when the two adults told them they had to go but couldn't wait for their return. Once in the Jumper, the three of them took back their seats, or place on the floor in Sedge's case, and John started it, heading back to Atlantis.  
They were both a little ill-at-ease from what happened earlier when he landed the Jumper in the Jumper bay but both knew that everything would be fine by the end of the day.

"You know," John said just before they left the jumper, "when I said I hadn't meant it, I lied."

 

Fini.


End file.
